fox's mike flannery spoke way apolitical science professor about what could be done. >> reporter: modern democracy uses machines that require electricity to record individual votes and then high- speed computer internet connections to transmit total counts to central election officials. but there may not be electricity even in parts of new york city for next tuesday's scheduled election. rural areas could face even longer delays on power. election officials across the northeast are scrambling discussing whether it is possible to consolidate polling places, use portable generate ours or have some vote by hand the old-fashioned way. what only a few are discussing publicly is any delay in the presidential election, something that has never happened before and here is why. >> i think it would probably take an act of congress to change that and allow states to have the flexibility to do so. the question is would they give individual states the flexibility to change their dates and delay it for a week or even two weeks. >> very unlikely. >> very unlikely, i think that is right. >> wayne stagge